The main goal of wearing a helmet is to avoid getting injured. The retention system of a helmet is therefore very important and has a main influence, besides on comfort, also on safety.
Therefore many helmet manufacturers developed systems for providing advanced retention systems to optimize both safety and comfort.
Most of these retention systems include an adjustment mechanism, which permits a wearer to tighten or loosen the retention system, while the helmet is on the wearer's head. Such adjustment mechanism comprises usually a knob or another shape providing grip for the wearer to adjust the tension on his head, connected to a ratchet or a screw, e.g. Lazer Sport's Rollsys system.
A general disadvantage of the above retention systems is that the adjustment mechanism requires action from the wearer to tighten or loosen the retention system to the appropriate size.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,142 addresses the above problem and suggests a retention system which comprises besides a adjustment mechanism for adjusting the size, an elastic element or a spring for positioning the dome against the occipital region of the wearer's head to stabilize the helmet against the wearer's head.
However, still action from the wearer is required. Moreover, the spring pushes the adjustment mechanisms against the occipital region of the wearer's head which may result in asymmetrical tightening and unequal pressure distribution along the head.
Further disadvantages are that such adjustment mechanism combined with an elastic element or a spring is clearly visible and esthetically not attractive, and that elastic elements lose their natural qualities over time.
Considering the above, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a retention system for a helmet which only requires limited action or even no action from the wearer to tighten or loosen it to the appropriate size.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a retention system for a helmet providing improved symmetrical tightening and improved pressure distribution along the wearer's head, resulting in improved overall comfort.
Further it is an object of the present invention to provide a retention system for a helmet, which may be less visible and/or may be more esthetically attractive.
The present inventions meets the above objects by proposing a retention system having a tensioning means comprising a spring and wherein both the front head belt and the rear basket are tensioned via a cable by said spring.